Pleasant Dreams, Waking Nightmare
by Kali Gargoyle
Summary: Something is taking our heroes out one by one. Can they stop it before it takes them all? Revised to meet new guidelines. Rated for mild sexual content, and violence in later chapters. Part 5 of 5 up. Finished!
1. Chapter One

Pleasant Dreams, Waking Nightmare

By Kali Gargoyle

***

Author's note: Okay, after discussing it with many of my readers I decided that this story could be rated down to R with it's current content as long as later chapters don't get more graphic. And they won't, at least where the sex is concerned. But I found that they won't let me alter the story rating, so I have to reupload everything. I did manage to save your wonderful reviews, however.

***

Chapter One

***

Michaelangelo looked out over the endless ocean. He took a deep breath of salty air as the waves crashed over his green toes. He carried his surfboard over his head as he waded out into the water. It was such a gorgeous day, so warm, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He couldn't believe that his brothers didn't want to come out with him. Even if they didn't surf, they could still enjoy the sun and the water.

Well, Mike wouldn't let them ruin his day, he was here to have fun, and he was going to do just that.

Mike pulled himself back up onto his board after a wipeout. He didn't let it get him down, it just meant he wouldn't have to do all that paddling. A huge wave appeared over the horizon and he smiled. This was gonna be great.

"Cowabunga!" he shouted from the top of the crest. Just then, something caught his eye and he lost his concentration. He fell back off the board.

Mike came up spitting and sputtering, and swam over to his board. He grabbed the board and tried to find what had caught his attention.

A human girl on the beach. She was near the cliff rocks, out of sight of where his stuff was on the sand. He wondered if she'd seen him, and more importantly, how much could she see from there?

He looked back out at the ocean and sadly noticed that it had calmed down. He frowned, knowing that there probably wouldn't be any waves for awhile.

He looked back to the beach and nearly slipped off the board in surprise when he noticed how close he was. The current was taking him straight towards the girl. If he didn't do something fast, he'd wash up at her feet.

__

Maybe the ocean wants me to meet her, he thought. _Maybe it's like a destiny thing_.

But then he remembered the lectures he always got from Leo and Splinter about how important it was for them to stay hidden. The only way he'd managed to get them to let him go was to promise to not let _anyone_ see him. He'd be in so much trouble if she saw him, they'd never let him out again!

His body jerked as his surfboard bumped up against the rocks. _Uh oh_.

Mike looked over to see the damage to his board and saw two tiny feet standing on a rock near him. He swallowed hard and looked up two long, beautifully tanned legs. The girl wore a neon orange bikini, and he noticed she had a belly ring.

She had a pretty heart shaped face with full lips, a perky little nose, and big green eyes. Her sun-bleached blonde hair was cut short and messy with two little butterfly clips that matched her suit. She looked eighteen, maybe nineteen, the same age as Mike.

"Hi," she said in a friendly tone.

Mike gave an awkward smile. "Uh, hi. My name's Michaelangelo, but you can call me Mikey."

The girl giggled. "I'm Natalie, but my friends call me Nat."

Mike grinned. "Can _I_ call you Nat?"

The girl giggled again. "I don't see why not!" She held out her hand and helped him out of the water. "You surf?"

"Nah, I'm stock car racing."

The girl stared at him for a few seconds before bursting out in giggles again. Mike liked the sound of her laughter, innocent, it reminded him of Shadow's laugh. "So, what are you doing out here?" he asked. "Sun worshipping?"

Nat curled a thin lock of hair around her finger. "Collecting shells."

Mike smiled. "Cool, got any neat ones?"

Nat grinned, excited at getting to show off her collection. "Yeah! They're over by my stuff." She turned and walked towards the sandy area of the beach. "I've got this one really pretty purple one that looks like - OW!"

Mike ran to catch Natalie as she fell backwards. He saw tears of pain streaming down her face. "What happened?"

"My foot!" she cried, trying to reach for it.

Mike looked down and saw a spiny shell half buried in the sand. He didn't have to be Donnie to figure out that she had stepped on it. He picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to her towel and lowered her down. He sat down at her feet and inspected the wounds. It didn't look too bad, but a couple small spines were still stuck in her foot. He thought about it for a few seconds, then asked, "You got a first aid kit?"

Nat shook her head and sniffed. Mike had a little trouble grabbing the spines with his thick fingers, but he got them all out using his fingernails. Nat wiggled during the entire procedure.

"That tickles!" she shrieked. Mike gave the cut one final look over, then tickled the bottom of her foot. Nat continued squirming. "Hey, cut that out!"

Mike let go of her foot and got out of range of her flailing legs. He grabbed her waist and started tickling her sides. Tears started streaming down her face again, this time from laughing so hard.

She suddenly leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. Mike immediately let go out of surprise and she squirmed away. While he was distracted she tipped him over and tried to find _his_ ticklish spots. She found them just under his arms where his shell met his skin.

Now Mike was on the receiving end and tried to squirm out from under Natalie. But he didn't try _too_ hard. He eventually decided to copy her escape tactic and sat up to kiss her. Nat's fingers stopped but she didn't seem distracted, nor did she pull away.

"Wow," Nat said when the kiss ended. "You're a good kisser for a turtle."

Mike pouted. "_For_ a turtle? Nuh uh, it's _because_ I'm a turtle!" he grinned.

Nat looked doubtful, so he just dipped her across his lap for another kiss. It seemed to convince her.

"So," Natalie smiled. "What else are turtles good at?"

Mike grinned down at her. "Allow me to demonstrate." He pulled at the string ties of her swimsuit before she had a chance to protest, not that she gave any indication that she would. She smelled and tasted like coconut sun tan lotion.

He started in again with the tickling and Nat giggled against his lips. Before long the giggles turned to soft moans and Mike knew he was on the right track. He pulled his legs out from under her and they stretched out on the towel.

Natalie covered Mike's face with quick, light kisses. Her fingers seemed to be touching every part of his body at once. She was so warm and soft beneath his fingers and her hair still smelled like the ocean water. Mike started feeling a little lightheaded.

Nat circled her arms around his head and kissed him full on the mouth. Her tongue pressed firmly against his lips so he opened them slightly.

__

Hmm, a tongue bar, how interesting.

His body seemed to take on a life of it's own, taking possession of Natalie's in every way. Her body submitted to Mike's strength, gently encouraging him to continue.

Mike had never felt anything like this in his entire life. He wished he could keep this feeling forever, the feel of her around him, her arms and legs holding him tight, every nerve and sensor in his body alive and in overdrive.

Certainly nothing bad could possibly happen when everything felt so good.

***

Raphael dragged himself into the dojo. Neither Leo nor Don bothered to say good morning, they knew he'd only snap at them for it.

"Where is Michaelangelo?" Splinter asked.

Raph shrugged. "Sleeping in, I guess." Under his breath, he added, "Lucky bastard."

"I'll get him," Leo volunteered. Less than a minute later he was knocking on Mike's door. There was no response, so he knocked harder. Still nothing. He knew Mike was a deep sleeper, but he was usually up by now without them having to get him.

Leo opened the door and walked over to the bed. Mike was sprawled out on the mattress, blankets in disarray, like the rest of the room.

"Mike, it's time to get up for practice." He shook Mike's shoulder, but his brother didn't stir.

Leo frowned and shook him again. "Come on, Mike, wake up." There was still no response.

"This isn't funny, Mike!"


	2. Chapter Two

Pleasant Dreams, Waking Nightmare

***

Authors Notes: Just to let you all know, since a couple people were wondering, in the last chapter, Mike _was_ dreaming. Thanks everyone for the reviews.

***

Chapter Two

***

Raphael paced back and forth across the room. He kept passing by the foot of the cot that Mike was resting on. His poor brother, struck down by some unseen force. Although there was no sign of foul play, he knew that's exactly what had happened. And he was going to make them pay.

Leonardo pulled his eyes from his distraught brother and turned towards Donatello, busy rustling through books and papers. "Found anything?"

Don shook his head, not looking up. "Nothing matches. It would be great if there was some symptom other than 'he won't wake up'."

"_All_ your tests came back negative?"

Don growled under his breath. "Yeah. I expected _something_. Poison, a virus, bad pizza! _Anything_!"

Raphael stopped in front of them and punched his fist into the opposite palm. "I say we go out and get the bastard that did this."

"And where do you suppose we started looking?" Leo asked, his voice raising slightly. "We don't even know _who_ is behind this, if there's anyone behind it at all!"

"Of course someone's behind it! Stuff like this doesn't happen at random, ya know!"

"Raphael!"

Splinter stepped into the room and up to the cot Michaelangelo was resting on. He placed an aged, furry hand on the Turtle's forehead and frowned. "This is not the work of an outside force," he told his students.

They all exchanged glances, a bit confused by their sensei's cryptic answer.

"Not an outside force?" Donatello repeated. "Does that mean it's some sort of biological ailment?"

"No," Splinter replied, turning towards the group.

"Then there's someone causing it?" Raphael figured. Good, he was hoping to beat the crap out of whoever had done this.

"Perhaps."

Raphael frowned. "Perhaps? What the hell is _that_? There either is or there isn't!" he snapped.

Leonardo stood and shoved Raphael's shoulder. "Don't speak to Master Splinter like that!"

Splinter cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the fight that was threatening to occur. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not solve anything. I am not sure what is going on. When I tried to reach Michaelangelo through meditation I encountered... a wall."

"A... wall?" Donatello repeated.

"Yes, a wall. Something is blocking his mind, keeping him apart from the waking world. I could sense him there, but could not reach him. I also sensed another... presence in his mind."

"How... how is that possible?" Leo asked. "Is it dangerous?"

"Of course it's dangerous!" Raphael snapped. "Look what's it's done to Mikey!"

Splinter continued on as if he hadn't heard Raphael's outburst. "It may very well be. I sensed Michaelangelo's life force becoming weaker."

"No," Raphael whispered.

Leonardo glanced at Raphael, knowing the pain his brother must be going through at the moment. He was feeling it too, but he couldn't worry about Raph when it was Mikey in need of help. "Sensei, I want to... see this wall."

Splinter slowly shook his head. "I do not think that is wise, Leonardo. I do not know what we are dealing with."

"Which is why I think we should try and learn more about it."

Raphael growled under his breath and went back to pacing. Splinter sighed. "I need to rest," he told Leonardo. "Then I will guide you. I do not want any of you going alone, this is beyond anything you have ever dealt with before."

Leonardo wanted to convince Splinter that time was of the essence, but he had the feeling Splinter knew that all too well. "As you wish, Master." He left the room with Splinter.

Don stood up and stretched. "Hey, Raph. Could you keep an eye on things here while I go get some other books?"

"Huh?" Raph stopped pacing and looked at Don. "Yeah, okay. It's not like he's going anywhere."

Don patted him on the shoulder on his way out and Raphael took a seat in Donnie's chair at the desk. He looked over the papers before turning around in the chair to face Mike.

At least he didn't seem to be in any pain. In fact, he was smiling a little. The only movement was the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and the movement of his eyes behind their lids.

Raphael crossed his arms over the back of the chair and rested his chin on them. He wondered what Mike was dreaming about. He hoped it was something good, and that when he did wake up he would snap at them for pulling him from a sweet dream.

***

Raphael took another gulp from his drink as he scanned the dance floor. Vampires, witches, and mummies swayed and danced to the music along side princesses, celebrities, and angels.

Angels... one in particular had caught his eye earlier and had been passing through his line of sight all night. Just as a new song started up she came into view again and Raph smiled behind his cup.

She had put a Gothic twist on the angel idea, using black and red instead of the traditional white and gold theme. Her hips swayed to the music, causing the black satin of her long dress to seemingly float over the floor as she headed straight for him. He wondered how long it had taken her to weave all those black ribbons into her red hair... and how the hell were they staying up there? He couldn't figure out how her glossy black wings were attached either.

He admired her low cut top until she was standing right in from of him. A playful smile captured her dark red lips as she introduced herself. "I'm Seraphim."

"Raphael. Tell me, do angels usually fly this low?" he asked, meeting her emerald green gaze.

Seraphim gave a half eye-roll. "Smooth."

"Yeah, I thought so, too." Raph smirked over the rim of his glass. Man, the lecture Leo would give him if he knew what he was doing. Raphael's vision suddenly got fuzzy and he shook his head to clear it away.

He felt a hand on his arm. "Are you alright?" said a far-away voice.

"Yeah, M'okay."

"Maybe you should lie down..."

"Sounds..." Raphael felt himself falling backwards onto a soft surface. "Like a good idea."

"See?" Seraphim smiled as she leaned over him. "It's much nicer here." They were now in another room, although he could still hear the music. She ran her hand down his arm. "Feeling better?"

Raph nodded silently. Lying in bed with a beautiful woman, what could be nicer? Hey, maybe she had a friend he could introduce Mikey to. The headache suddenly came back, burning the backs of his eyes.

"I want you to _stay_ with _me_," Seraphim whispered in his ear. She kissed his jaw, trailing down his neck.

Raph sighed contentedly. "I wasn't gonna leave," he mumbled. He felt the headache fading away, along with whatever he had been thinking about before.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Seraphim purred.

Raph smirked. "So I've been told." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. The dress he was admiring earlier was now an obstacle standing in his way. Just as his fingers brushed against the lacings, the fabric seemed to disappear beneath his fingers, which moved roughly over her pale skin. Seraphim's fingers were busy curling underneath the bottom edge of his plastron.

Seraphim let out a quiet squeak as Raphael flipped her onto her back and pinned her wrists to the mattress. "Thought you could catch me by surprise, did you?"

Seraphim smiled up at him. "You can't blame a girl for trying."

Raph just gave her a half-smirk and lowered his mouth to hers. He decided that the time for conversation was over and that he'd let his body do the talking. He let go of her wrists and slid his arms underneath her.


	3. Chapter Three

Pleasant Dreams, Waking Nightmare

***

Chapter Three

***

Donatello felt panic racing through his veins.

"I was only gone for two minutes. _Two minutes_!" he repeated as he looked over Raphael. He was gone all right, he wasn't even responding to the penlight being shined in his eyes. Don bit his lip. "I never should have left him alone."

Leo put a hand on Don's shoulder. "Don, it's not your fault. Whoever we're dealing with is obviously more powerful then we anticipated."

Don stood up and faced Leo. "But how? And in just two minutes? Less if you figure in the time it must have taken them to get in and out of here." Don paled. "They were in here. How could they have gotten past the alarms? Leo, they can get past our defenses!"

Leo shook Don by the shoulders. "Don, don't make me slap you!" Don quieted down. "You can _not_ go into hysterics on me. It's not like you, you need to keep a clear head so we can deal with this."

"With what?" Don asked, the slightest hint of panic still in his voice. "We still have no idea what we're dealing with."

Leo gave him a serious look. "That's exactly why we have to keep working. They're depending on us."

Don looked over Leo's shoulder at Mike, still lying on his cot. Then he looked over his own shoulder at Raph, asleep in his desk chair. He nodded slowly and set his book on the desk.

Leo let go of Don. "Okay. You stay here and keep working. I'm going to check around the lair. Maybe the intruder left some clues, or..."

"... Is still around." Don finished softly.

Leo squeezed Don's shoulder. "Stay strong, Don, we can beat this."

Don forced himself over to the coffee machine, which had been brought in six hours after they had found Michaelangelo, and poured himself yet another cup. He counted as he breathed, trying to calm himself down. _Inhale...Two...Three...Four.... Exhale...Two...Three...Four...._

After a minute or so he moved Raph to a bed and sat down at the desk. He opened his book and began scanning the contents. As he read he became more and more aware of how stupid he'd been a few minutes ago. He was so used to people trying to kill them that he came to that conclusion without thinking. A really stupid thing to do, especially given what they did know. Splinter had specifically told them it wasn't an outside force.

An hour later Leo came back into the room to see Don still at the desk. "Don?" Don looked over at his brother and Leo gave a sigh of relief. "For a second there I thought you were gone."

Don shook his head. "No, I'm holding up. Um, sorry about freaking earlier, I just..."

"Yeah, me too. Got anything?"

Don leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "After I heard what Splinter told us, about it not being an outside force, but still may be a person or some being, it reminded me of something I had read."

Leo looked over Don's shoulder to see what he was reading. "Since when are you into the paranormal?" he asked, noticing the title.

Don shrugged. "I'm usually not, I got this book as part of a set from April. Anyway, I thought maybe it could be a psychic attack."

"Psychic?" Leo repeated. "That could explain it."

"I'm still not exactly sure who or what we may be dealing with. There are just so many possibilities." Don sighed. "I'm guessing that whoever it is waits until we're asleep to attack."

"Why?" Leo leaned back against the desk, knowing he'd probably be here listening to Don's theories for awhile.

"Maybe it's easier for them to get past our defenses that way. We've had training to recognize and defend against attacks like these, but we aren't at the level where it's automatic. At least, those two weren't." They both looked over at Mike and Raph. "And to tell you the truth Leo, I really don't think I am either. I'm probably going to go next."

Leo looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't say things like that, Donnie! You can't give up without a fight!"

Don gave a slight smile. "I don't intend to. We have this knowledge, we can use it to fight this thing. Look at Mike and Raph."

Leo looked over. They were both still asleep, breathing regularly. "Yeah?"

"They're dreaming. They've been dreaming the _entire_ time they've been asleep. Before you ask, no, that's not normal."

"I know that, Don," Leo smirked. "But what does it mean?"

"That whoever it is, they're probably controlling Mike and Raph's dreams. And they'll probably try to use our dreams to get us as well. The question is why, what do they want from us?"

Leo bit his lip. "What about Master Splinter?"

Don thought for a second. "Splinter's way above our level when it comes to the mental plane. I doubt they'll take the chance on him."

Leo pushed himself away from the desk. "Still, I'm going to tell him exactly what you've told me, so he'll be prepared. Maybe he can even come up with a plan." Leo looked back from the doorway. "I know this isn't exactly your area of expertise, hell, you aren't even that comfortable with it, but you're doing a great job."

"Thanks, but save it for when we have our brothers back."

"Oh, and Don?"

"Yeah, Leo?"

"Can you make another pot of coffee? I have a feeling we're gonna have to stay up awhile longer."

"Sure thing, Leo." Yeah, a fresh cup of coffee sounded like a good idea. He emptied the pot into his mug and started another batch. Leo was right, it was going to be a long night.

He sat down at the desk again and focused back on the book. He yawned and shook his head. He couldn't start getting tired now. He stretched his arms up over his head, getting his blood flowing. He turned to the next section of the book and continued reading, blinking every now and then when the words got blurry.

***

Donatello folded his arms behind his head as he laid back on the soft, cool grass. He stared up at the clear blue sky, watching the pure white clouds slowly float by. He took a deep breath as a warm breeze blew past him. He could hear a small waterfall nearby and the sound the wind blowing through the trees. It was near silence, especially when compared to the city.

Good. He didn't want anything to do with civilization or technology at the moment. He would later, of course, he'd never be able to stay away very long, but these little vacations were necessary too.

Don shifted his body. He felt like something wasn't right. He sat up and looked around, there was the unmistakable feeling that there was someone else here, watching him. The sound of something moving through water pulled his attention to the left.

Don just sat there blinking as a figure emerged from the water. It was a woman, about average height, dark tan skin, and wearing nothing. She walked over to Don and knelt down, wringing the water out of her long black hair. She smiled at him, her dark eyes glittering in amusement. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Don's mouth suddenly went dry. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, spraying tiny drops of water everywhere. She moved closer to him and he finally found his voice. "Who... uh... what are you doing here?"

The woman just laughed. "Trying to get you to relax, silly!"

"Oh," Don replied, as if that answered everything. Funny thing was, it seemed to. "And you are?"

The woman gave him a perplexed look. "Cheyenne. The stress is really getting to you, isn't it?"

Don thought for a second and laid back down on the grass. "Yeah, feels like it is." Instead of grass, he found his head resting in Cheyenne's lap.

She smiled down at him as she placed her hands on his shoulders and started massaging the muscles. "Well, I think I can help with that. You've been working very hard."

"Fat lot of good it's been doing," Don snorted. He wasn't even sure what it was he was working on. He just relaxed as Cheyenne rubbed away the knots in his shoulders.

"Oh, I think you've been very productive," Cheyenne told him. She leaned over and kissed him. "I'm sure you would have... will figure it out. You just need to take a break to clear your head."

Don reached up and grabbed Cheyenne around the neck. "I think you're right." He pulled her back down into a kiss. He felt a warm feeling of relief flow through him, all the way down to his toes. Water from Cheyenne's hair dripped down his arms and onto his plastron. He turned and pulled himself into a more comfortable sitting position.

"How 'bout a swim?" Cheyenne asked, moving back towards the water.

Donatello held onto her wrists and pulled her back to him. "Hmm, maybe later." Their lips met again and Don pulled Cheyenne sideways onto his lap. He pushed her hair behind her to expose her shoulders and chest to his exploring hands.

"Why not?" Cheyenne replied as Don kissed along her collarbone. "After all, we have all the time in the world."


	4. Chapter Four

Pleasant Dreams, Waking Nightmare

***

Chapter Four

***

Leonardo gripped the edge of the tabletop so tightly that his knuckles started turning white. He was feeling so many things at the moment, but the top two emotions were anger and fear.

He couldn't even bear to glance over at Donatello, lying with his face in his textbook. Ten minutes, that's how long he'd been gone, just ten minutes. Don had been gone for less time than that when Raph was taken, but this was different. Leo was supposed to protect them, and he'd failed every one of them. What kind of brother and leader let his brothers down like this?

"It's not fair," he managed to get out through gritted teeth.

He felt a hand rest lightly on his shoulder. He didn't need to look over to tell it was Splinter. There was no one else left.

"Leonardo. Leonardo, listen to me, this is not your fault."

"I should have been here!" He slammed his fists down on the table.

"If I am correct about what is going on here, there was truly nothing you could have done. Even standing guard over your brother would not have saved him. But he, nor the others, are lost to us, Leonardo. We can still save them."

Leo took a deep breath but his hands refused to unclench. He had faith in Splinter, but it all seemed so hopeless. "How?"

Splinter took the book from underneath Donatello's head. "I am working on that. I will have to leave to gather the things I need. I will not be gone long."

Leo nodded and slumped down into an empty chair. "I'll watch over them, and our home."

"I know you will do your best Leonardo." He gave Leonardo a confident smile before silently saying goodbye to his others sons and leaving.

Leo covered his face with his hands. How could he have let things get so out of hand? His brothers always counted on him, always looked to him for help, and he had let them all down. And he had no idea how he was going to save them.

He took a deep breath and sat on the floor. He needed to clear his mind. He wouldn't be any good to anyone swimming in guilt and self-pity. He closed his eyes and tried to drift away, but he wasn't willing to let his brothers' light snoring slip away from him.

***

A crash startled Leonardo. His eyes snapped open and shot to his feet. "Who's there?" he demanded of the empty lair.

There was another thud and a muffled scream. It seemed to be coming from nearby, but outside the lair. Splinter! He ran from the room, snatching up his katana, heading towards the exit. Just as he reached for the door the wall to his left collapsed inward. He jumped back, but didn't manage to avoid all the debris.

He coughed and waved the clouds of dust away, squinting to try and get a look at whatever had managed to put a hole in the lair wall. Obviously, wasn't a bomb, he didn't hear an explosion. Sounded more like something had crashed through. But what was powerful enough to do that?

The dust finally settled and he got his answer. At first he couldn't quite make out the shape, it seemed like just a big black blob, but then it started to move... to _slither_.

__

No... No please, anything but that...

The huge snake uncoiled, heading back out of the lair. It looked big enough to swallow Leonardo whole without much effort. With his pulse pounding and sweat dripping off his forehead, he inched towards the hole in the wall. Since he doubted the snake could scream, there must be someone else out there.

Yes, it was a woman, cloaked, and half-hidden in the shadows. She was backed up against the wall, and seemed more afraid of the snake than he was. _The snake..._

Leonardo narrowed his eyes. He remembered a picture of a snake in the book Donatello had been reading. Perhaps this was the thing that had attacked his brothers. Though how something that big could get by unnoticed was beyond him.

"Help me, please!" the woman cried. He focused back on her and saw her staring at him. Without a second thought he tightened his grip on his katana and leapt onto the back of the snake. He brought the blade down on its spine, but its scales were like armor. The snake merely twisted its body and threw the turtle off.

It reared up, hovering over Leonardo, jaws open wider than should be allowed. It hissed viciously and Leo felt his legs turn to jelly. Before it could strike at Leonardo, a brick came flying towards it and hit the side of its head. The snake turned with a hiss towards the woman, who was ready with another brick in her hand.

"Go for its belly!" She yelled, throwing the brick. She'd managed to grab its attention away from Leonardo. Leo considered drawing its attention back to him, then realized exactly what the woman was doing. While the snake was distracted he jumped towards it, catching its attention just a second too late. The sharp blade sliced right through the soft under belly of the snake.

Leonardo landed several feet away, breathing heavily, and the snake collapsed behind him. It shuddered and writhed a few seconds before lying still. Leo slowly stood and turned, watching as the snake's body quickly disintegrated and melted away into the sewer floor.

At the sound of more movement Leo spun around, ready to fight again. He stopped just inches away from striking the woman who had helped him. He quickly lowered his sword and bowed. "My apologies." He straightened up. "Are you all right?"

The woman smiled. He could now see her face, young but not quite innocent, a look of wisdom beyond age. A few soft golden-brown curls fell in front of her gray eyes. "I'm quite all right. Now."

Leo smiled slightly, then he cringed and fell to one knee, clutching his side. The woman was with him in an instant. "You're hurt."

"No, I'm not," Leo answered, although it hadn't been a question. However, he did lean on the woman for support, she was a lot stronger than she looked, as they traveled back into the lair through the hole the snake had created. She set him down on the couch and began checking him for injuries.

"I said I'm fine." Leo started pushing her away.

"You were very brave back there. You came to my rescue though you did not know me. I would feel bad if you were hurt."

Leo sighed. "What's your name?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "And what was that thing?"

The woman placed her hands in her lap. "I am Lillith. That was a demon serpent, a Dream Eater. I've been tracking it for a long time now."

"Dream-? Then that must have been what attacked my brothers!"

Lillith nodded, lowering her head. "I am so sorry that your family was a target."

Leo was silent for several moments, collecting his thoughts before asking. "My brothers. Will they be-?"

"Your brothers will awaken shortly. The Dream Eater's hold on them was not complete, and they will recover."

Leo sighed again, this time with relief, leaning his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. He felt Lillith's fingers across his forehead. "You don't like snakes. It must have taken a lot out of you to face the Dream Eater."

Leo gave a non-committal grunt. Lillith leaned closer to him. "You must be a very brave warrior. Thank you."

Leo smiled a bit. He never got thank you's. It felt nice to be appreciated. Almost as nice as Lillith's hands trailing across his plastron.

"Fear is exhausting, isn't it?" Lillith whispered. "It takes its toll on the mind, you know. Slowly chipping away at defenses." She ran a single slim finger along the edge of his jaw. "Then it can easily take control, or let something else take control."

Leo smiled to himself. "I'm stronger than that."

Lillith slipped into his lap and he looked up at her. She gently pressed her lips against his and smiled. "Of course you are, my great hero."


	5. Chapter Five

Pleasant Dreams, Waking Nightmare

***

Chapter Five

***

Splinter walked slowly past the sleeping forms of his sons. He paused at Leonardo, who was sitting up against the far wall, his chin resting on his chest.

He sighed and placed his hand on top of Leonardo's head. "Oh, my son..."

He could feel the presence in Leonardo's mind, as he could with all his sons, still in the outer levels. Even if they did not realize it, his sons had strong mental shields, but he could feel they were beginning to wear down. He'd have to work quickly.

"Splinter?"

The old rat turned at the sound of April's quiet call. She was walking slowly through the infirmary door, looking at the turtles with a worried and confused expression on her face. "Splinter, what happened? Are they-?"

Splinter gently took the bag she was carrying from her hands and guided her over to an empty chair. "It is difficult to explain. Their minds have been attacked, and whatever it is it's draining them of their life force. Some type of psychic vampire."

April covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. Splinter continued to remove the items from her bag, setting them next to the things he had already set out.

April's eyes moved over the four still figures. "Shouldn't they be... fighting back, or something?"

"This is a very cunning adversary," he told her. "As well as very powerful. A dangerous combination. The demon is using the turtle's dreams to get past their defenses, as Don theorized. They probably don't even realize they are in danger."

April swallowed, with some difficulty due to the lump in her throat. She turned to say something to Splinter and her words froze in her throat. He looked like he had aged years since she'd seen him last, just a few days ago. As focused as he was on his task, the worry still showed in his eyes.

Splinter turned to her, confidence flashing in his dark eyes. "I have a plan, April, but I am going to need your help. Listen very carefully, I do not have time to repeat myself..."

***

Splinter felt the serene landscape of his preferred astral "getaway" flow around him. His homeland as he remembered it stretched out before him. Here, he was safe, secure, defended.

The last thing he wanted to be.

He had to lure the entity attacking his sons into the open. And for that, he had to appear weak enough to be worth attacking. He kept many defenses up, and was still very aware, as he started walking through the tall grasses.

The landscape changed, becoming darker, more industrial. New York. His old home melted away to his new home, but before long the darkness became so complete he could no longer see where he was going. The darkness didn't worry him; he simply switched to his other senses.

He could hear only his own footsteps, and there wasn't even a breeze to ruffle his fur. But the smell... He followed the smell, even though it was unpleasant, because it was all he could do. His mind couldn't even sense another presence. Perhaps the entity was smart enough to know a trap...

Splinter suddenly stopped a few feet from where a shaft of light appeared on the floor before him. He was about to see if he could find the source of the light when something else caught his eye. The light had fallen over two people, fallen over each other, a pool of blood spreading over the floor.

He was in his Master Hamato Yoshi's apartment, the night Oroku Saki had come to avenge his brother's death. He could see his empty cage over in the corner. He backed into another corner, repeating to himself that this was all in his mind, and that he had a malevolent entity to be weary of, he couldn't drop his guard.

A shadow was cast over the bodies. Splinter looked to see a small child standing in the doorway. He squinted and could just make out that it was a young girl. He recognized her as one of the children in the apartment complex, one of the ones Shen watched while their parents worked. This one had also been one of the few Yoshi had taken on as a student. Akako, that was her name. She'd always brought him treats and table scraps, and played with him, and saved him when the other children got too rough. He had a sudden urge to rush over and hide the horrible sight from her innocent eyes.

He watched in amazement as she began walking towards the bodies, aging with ever step, until she was the age she would be in the present. She knelt down, and Splinter realized that Yoshi and Shen's bodies had vanished, though it did not concern him. He focused on listening to Akako's small voice talking in rushed Japanese. Splinter's eyes got wide and couldn't stop himself from leaping forward and grabbing her wrists as she raised the dagger in front of her.

"Akako, no!"

Splinter managed to wrench the weapon from her hand and she just sat there looking down at her empty hands. After several minutes of silence she leaned over and began sobbing into Splinter's shoulder. This caught Splinter by surprise, and he brought his hand around to pat her back.

"It's all right, child. There was nothing you could have done."

"I... I never avenged them. I let their honor die with them."

Splinter tilted her chin up. "Their deaths have been avenged."

He saw relief seep into her eyes and her self-hate flow out in the form of tears. He wiped those tears away.

Akako sniffed once and placed her small, pale hand over his. "You have a very comforting spirit." Before Splinter knew what was happening she was leaning towards him.

Splinter started as the sound of a loud bell rang through the room. Akako pulled away from him with her hands over her ears, screeching in pain. He felt concern for her, wondering why she was in pain, the ringing was rather pleasant...

He pulled back the hand reaching for her and clenched it into a fist. He stood up, bringing Akako's dagger up with him. "Release my sons."

Akako glared up at him. The ringing had stopped, but it had done its job. "They say rats are intelligent creatures, but you're too smart for your own good." She leapt at him, her hands turning into claws, the rest of her morphing in mid air.

Splinter ducked, raising the dagger up as she flew past him. It sliced a long gash on her arm, which dripped a thick black liquid. She turned, her long black hair blowing around her as if it had a life of its own. She had skin of deep green, and eyes that were nothing more than empty spaces in her skull. She clutched one viciously clawed hand over her wound as she hissed at Splinter.

"I said, release my sons."

The creature that was previously Akako snarled, fog rolling in past her feet. Splinter focused on her, determined not to fall for any more of her tricks. But he found himself growing curious when the fog swept upwards, creating oval-shaped swirls of color. His attention was fully drawn away from the feminine creature when the pictures came into focus.

He saw Michaelangelo, rolling through the waves on a beach with a young woman. Then Raphael and a rather voluptuous red head. _These must be their dreams. How this demon witch manage to ensnare them..._ Donatello and a longhaired woman under a waterfall. Leonardo in the lair with his fantasy.

Splinter turned his focus back to the vampire causing all this. "What kind of evil creature would use the dreams of others to manipulate and destroy them?"

"What kind of monster would deny them those dreams?" Her voice hissed, and Splinter caught a quick glimpse of a forked, snake-like tongue. She turned and gestured towards the dream windows. "I've given them what they wanted. A chance to be accepted as they are, wanted despite what they are. Even _because_ of it. A life you and the rest of the world has denied them."

Splinter casually glanced at the images, keeping one eye on the demon-woman. She was trying to appeal to him, confuse him. He would not fall for it. No matter how much his sons seemed to enjoy their little fantasies, they were just illusions. And those illusions would end when all their energy was drained, leaving them as nothing but empty shells.

The ringing came again and the witch clasped her hands to her ears again. A new fog rolled in, this one a brownish-gray, that combined with the dark gray of the dream windows, highlighting golden areas. Those golden strands led back to the demon. Splinter narrowed his eyes and twirled the dagger he still carried in his hand.

He brought the blade down on Michaelangelo's thread first, since he had been connected the longest, then moved to Raphael's. The portals evaporated when the links were cut. The demoness screeched as he moved to Donatello's.

"No!" She leapt towards him and managed to tackle him to the ground. They fought over the dagger, both struggling to get and keep a good grip. The blade sliced through the two remaining threads coming from the demon's chest. "NO!"

Splinter leapt back, having taken the dagger from her grasp. He watched her collapse to her knees, howling.

"I could have lived for _centuries_ off their energy!" She looked up at Splinter. "I wouldn't have killed them, I need them to stay alive."

Splinter simply glared at her. "Leeching off others is no way to live." He shifted the dagger between his fingers. "And I cannot let you continue using others as you do."

The demon stood and screamed. "Do I not have the right to survive as much as you do!?"

Splinter let the dagger fly.

***

"Splinter? Splinter, can you hear me?"

Splinter let his other senses orient themselves before opening his eyes. He was back in the infirmary. He did a quick mental sweep. Yes, it was what he knew as real, and not another projection from the demon parasite. He tried to stand, but felt surprisingly weak.

"Don't more." That was April's voice. He looked up and focused on her face. She looked tired, but relieved. He heard movement and groaning in the background. _The turtles..._

"Are they all...?"

"They're all awake now, Splinter. You did it." She grinned, and Splinter couldn't help but return a smile. He looked past her to see Leonardo up and checking on his brothers. Michaelangelo was still lying down, rubbing his eyes. Raphael yawned, then fell back down on the bed and Leonardo started to lecture him about standing too fast. Donatello was up checking the vitals of the ones connected to machines.

Splinter sighed. They had won, they were all back.

"Sensei, are you all right?"

Splinter looked up at Leonardo, who was looking down at him with concern. "Yes, Leonardo, I will be fine."

"Wha' happened?" Mike asked, his voice still heavy from sleep.

Splinter managed to stand with help from Leonardo and his walking stick. "Some type of energy vampire was attacking you. It... She was non-corporeal, and entered your minds, your dreams, in order to secure a link to your life force."

"So... our dreams..." Donatello started to say, a light blush creeping up under the green tone of his skin.

"Were merely distractions." Splinter allowed himself a small smile. "What better way to distract four teenage males."

Donatello nodded, then his eyes widened and his blush got brighter. "You _saw_..."

Now Mikey was starting to blush, though not as brightly as Donatello. Leonardo looked down and Raphael just shrugged and stretched his arms over his head.

"I saw tricks, illusions placed in your mind by what was trying to destroy you." He looked pointedly at Leonardo, who seemed to feel ashamed he was unable to resist. "They were very convincing. The demon was very cunning, I too almost fell prey."

Leonardo looked up in surprise. The turtles looked at each other and Splinter, not sure how they should feel about that statement.

"If not for April," Splinter continued. "I would have fallen into the darkness as well."

April hugged the bell she was holding to her chest. "Glad I could help. I'm so glad you all are all right." She suddenly rushed over and hugged each of the turtles, and even gave a hug to Splinter. "Usually I'd say you would all need some bed rest..."

Raphael jerked his neck to the side, resulting in a loud popping of joints. "Screw that, I'm getting something to eat."

Mike agreed whole-heartedly and jumped up to go prepare a meal.

"We will call for take out, Michaelangelo," Splinter called before he could leave the room. "You have all had your energy drained away. You need time to replenish it. A good meal will help."

April grabbed a pen and pad of paper from the counter. She tore off the top page, a bunch of notes Donatello had scribbled down from his research. "I'll take orders and go get them. Just tell me what you want."

Four voices began to talk at once, then automatically fell into taking turns, each giving their orders to April, who quickly wrote them down. She bit her lip when she realized she'd probably have to go to at least three different places. Splinter gave his request last.

When she left, everyone migrated into the main room. The infirmary was not a place any of them wanted to stay very long. Splinter looked at each of his sons. They all were well, but something hovered around them he couldn't quite identify. Perhaps a side effect from the attack, which would pass with time. But he would have to watch them carefully.

"Hey, Donnie," Mike whispered quietly. "What'd yours look like?"

Donatello just buried his head in the TV Guide.


End file.
